Self-conforming shoulder pad



1. WALCOFF SELF-CONFORMING SHOULDER PAD Filed Nov. 17, 1942 Sept. 14, 1943. 2,329,496

Patented Sept. 14, 1943 SELF-CONFORMING SHOULDER PAD Isaac Walcoff, New York, N. Y., assignor of onehalf to David London, New York; N. Y.

Application November 11, 1942, Serial No. 465,925

3 Claims.

This invention relates to pads especially of the type used in the shoulder portions of garments. One object of the invention is the provision of an improved pad having inherent and special capability of bending or arcing to conform to the wearer's body, for instance, at the shoulder.

Another object of the invention is to furnish a pad of the nature set forth having a filling which is adapted to permanently maintain a change in shape from an initial fiat position, by reason of fibers capable of becoming differently interlaced in the new set position, so that the pad shall afford a reliable fit on many different shoulders. A further object of the invention is to provide I a shoulder pad of the character described which is inexpensive in material, simple in construction, and adapted for quantity production.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent as the specification proceeds.

With the aforesaid objects in view, the invention consists in the novel combinations and arrangements of parts hereinafter described in their preferred embodiments, pointed out in the subjoined claims, and illustrated on the annexed drawing, wherein like parts are designated by the same reference characters throughout the several views.

In the drawing:

Figure 1 isa plan view of a shoulder pad embodying theinvention.

Fig. 2 is a central horizontal sectional view thereof.

Fig. 3 is a similar sectional view of a modification.

Figs. 4 and 5 are sectional views corresponding to Figs. 2 and 3 respectively, but showing the pad maintained in a curved self conforming position.

may be incorporated in several different con-' structions. The accompanying drawing, therefore, is submitted merely as showing the preferred exemplification of the invention.

Referring in detail to the drawing, l0 denotes a pad embodying the invention. The same may be of any suitable size and shape and is herein illustratively shown'as a shoulder pad. For this purpose it may be of generally polygonal form,

withone axis being longer than the other, and the side edges being convexed.

fI'o contain the filler, hereinafter described, the pad I0 may comprise a casing ll of any suitable material and construction. This casing ll may be formed, for example, by marginally stitching together two pieces of cloth as shown at I! to provide a continuously closed filler compartment l3.

An important principle of the invention is that the top wall I of the casing H is stretchable whereas the bottom wall If) thereof is non stretching. The particular reason for this is that the top wall shall be capable of yielding as the pad H) is bent or convexed to the position shown in Figs. 4 and 5. This facilitates proper conforming action of the filler and serves to prevent the top wall from offering a resistance to the permanently self conforming action of the filler hereinafter defined. Satisfactory results are obtained of the pad being an important item in its marketabllity. a

If a textile fabric is subjected to bias stretch, it tends to return to its original condition relatively slowly. If the stretch is prolonged and 'then released, the fabric assumes a permanent set condition for a substantial portion of the deformation produced by the stretch; that deformation can afterward be produced with less nent.

tension than before. If the fabric be subjected to steaming and ironing in its stretched condition, as occurs in the pressing of garments, then the full deformation becomes relatively perma However, in the instant case, there is an additional factor provided by the permanently conforming filler which engages the casing fabric frictionally or otherwise so as to maintain the top wall If in its stretched, deformed condition and to counteract any latent tendency in the fabric to return to its original shape and to distort the filler from its self conforming position. All this will be apparent hereinafter.

The bottom wall I5 may consist of the same cloth as the wall I4, but cut on the straight. The purpose for this is to afford a firm anchorage of the shoulder pad ID to the garment. The difficulties in handling bias cut fabrics in sewing operations and the like are well known. The bias-cut fabric responds easily to the slightest pull and becomes readily distorted. Hence if the bottom wall were also bias cut, the pad as a whole would be seriously lacking in workability. For the quantity production of garments, the pad must be capable of rough handling as the operator pulls its edges into desired position. The resultant deformation of the pad may prevent proper fitting of the garment and may produce effects departing from the standard sought. And in the wearing of the garment and in subsequent ironing operations the pad is subjected to strains and abuse tending to pull it out of its desired shape. All this is prevented by the non-stretching wall l5, and in particular it confines the margins of the stretchable wall l4 so that the yield of the latter is. confined within predeter-' mined limits.

The top and bottom walls l4 and i5 further cooperate in that if a pull occurs on the bias of the wall l5, such a pull is along the weave of the stretchable top wall l4, whereby the latter prevents undesired distortion of the shoulder pad, especially because the edges of both walls are secured in a common seam as at l2.

If an intermediate wall l6 be employed the same may also be bias cut like the top wall i4 and secured in the common seam 12.

The novel principle of the invention resides in the nature or composition of the filler H, which can be used in various casings, but th advantages of which are realized in the highest degree by the casing II. This filler comprises a fibrous material such as to afford sufficient internal friction in the filler to cause the latter to substantially maintain a given shape to which ithas been bent or folded. Jute and sisal are illustrations of such materials. The fibers of sisal are much longer and coarser than those of jute. The internal friction of a mass of sisal fiber is therefore higher than that of a mass of jute, but the tough fibers of sisal have more resilience than those of jute and hence tend to return to initial position after a deformation 'for a short period of time; if the deformation is prolonged, the return of the sisal is less. Nevertheless this resilience of the sisal would constitute a difliculty in working the shoulder pad into a garment if sisal alone were used as the filler. While jute stays put more readily, it lacks the desirable body-quality of sisal, and is perhaps too easily deformed. A shoulder pad whose filler were to consist of jute only would not afford the strength of supporting body for the shoulders and sleeves of a garment which is desirable for a permanently good fit of the garment. Wool and hair are not self conforming in character as jute and sisal are; they are so soft that when a mass thereof is bent or folded it tends to directly return to initial condition. They lack internal friction but are desirable for felting, and to produce some softness in the pad.

The most desirable results are obtained by combining Jute and sisal in suitable proportions acform to be retained. The internal friction of the jute will be materially increased by the sisal fibers acting as an interlacing reenforcement or fabric, the jute serving to lock the sisal fibers in position, and the sisal increasing the resistance and strength of the filler in the curved position. All this will occur because the various fibers become rearranged when the filler is curved and the internal friction prevents return to initial position unless caused by a force more powerful than anything that occurs in the handling of the gar ment. Fibers other than jute or sisal but having the same characteristics or the equivalent character of both may be employed.

The best results are obtained by incorporating into the filler a substantial quantity of hair, wool, or India cotton, preferably animal hair as it is much cheaper than wool and softer than cotton. This material may be worked in simultaneously with the jute and sisal, as above described. Not only is suitable softness of the pad produced but the filler becomes much easier to work into a tapered cross section. It is to be understood that the filler may be made from fiat sheet stock of uniform thickness, cut to form sections shaped like the filler. Then each section must be ta pered all around down to the margin as indicated in the drawing. This is best accomplished by combing away material from a'point adjacent to the center toward the margins. For example, a motor driven brush, or other high speed means may be used. The presence of the hair permits a much more uniform removal of filler material in tapering without tearing away too much fiber or forming holes in the filler. Thereafter the filler is placed in the casing H to complete the pad.

Another advantage of the use of hair or the like is to permit a more thorough interlacing of the jute and sisal fibers, because the soft hair acts somewhat like a lubricant. Bending will prevent release of rough spots in the jute or of hard fibers or points of the sisal, and peculiarly the hair appears to enhance the self conforming character or internal friction of the filler, apparently because it permits more thorough interlacing of the jute and sisal and because it permits relative movement or slip between such fibers when a new shape of the shoulder pad is desired, andrbecause it interposes a relatively inert body resisting return movement. The hair may be used in any suitable amount, between two and six times as much as the sisal.

Good results are obtained by using in parts by weight Sisal 5 to 15 Jute 20 to 70 Hair or the like 15 to 75 Best results have been obtained by using in parts by weight Sisal 10 Jute 40 Animal hair 50 20, 2! in Fig. 1 and by identical stitching shown at 22, 23 in Fig. 3. The stitching 2| and 23 is used for marginal reenforcement and anchorage of the pad; the stitching 20 and 22 is used to prevent any relative side slip of portions of the filler, and the stitching is sufficiently loose to permit the convexing of the filler as described, and as indicated in Figs. 4 and 5, wherein a convexed shoulder shape is schematically or suggestively shown. The basting stitches cannot restrain relative movement of the fibers when the pad is forcibly deformed into the convex shape, but they serve to anchor and restrain the fibers against return movement under normal conditions of use of the shoulder pad.

I claim:

1. A shoulder pad having a filler of cushioning material, and a casing therefor havingopposed walls, oneof said walls being cut-on the bias and the other being cut with the weave, the direction of 20 the weave in one wall being at an angle to that of the other wall, so that the first mentioned wall is stretchable and the other wall is relatively non stretching.

2. A shoulder pad having-a filler pad of intertwined fibrous material, and a casing thereof having opposed upper and lower walls consisting of a. textile fabric, the upper wall being cut on the bias, the lower wall being cut with the weave, the

direction of the weave in one wall being at an angle to that of the weave of the other wall, and means marginally interconnecting said walls.

3. A shoulder pad having a fibrous filler and a closed casing therefor of greater length than width, said casing having opposed top and bottom walls each extending to the edges of the casing, and eachconsisting of a textile fabric, the top wall being cut on the bias and the bottom. wall being cut with the weave, the direction of the weave of the bottom wall being in the length of the casing and the direction of weave of the top wall being at an angle to the length of the casing, whereby the shoulder pad can be downwardly convexed with its top wall lengthwise of the casing and any bias pull on the bottom wall is inthe direction of the Weave of the top wall so as to be reslstedthereby.

ISAAC WALCOFF. 

